![[H]ardOCP](/images/blank.gif){kind=small}
- Date:
- Monday , November 24, 2008
- Author:
- Paul Johnson
- Editor:
- Kyle Bennett
- Google +1
SilverStone DA1000 vs. OP1000-E: Dueling PSU's
Silverstone is certainly no slouch when it comes to high end power supplies. HardOCP has been using its PSUs for quite a while with great success. Let's see what two of its best 1000 watt units has to offer.
Build Quality
As we already know the SilverStone DA1000 and OP1000-E feature a single 120mm fan design that has come to be the preferred standard for quiet cooling environments due to the ability to move a larger volumes of air at slower speeds than a smaller diameter fan. While great for quiet computing environments the key criteria in our evaluation is whether or not the cooling solution is sufficient, not necessary its sound level or form factor.
External Build Quality
SilverStone Decathlon DA1000
SilverStone Olympia OP1000-E
As we see here the DA1000 and OP1000-E differ externally in their form factor and the DA1000's modular connectors but otherwise share many of the same qualities. Both units are cooled by a single 120mm overhead fan but the OP1000-E's much shorter casing makes the fan take up a much larger area on the top of the unit than it does on the DA1000. The finish of both units is once more the very attractive flat black finish we have seen from other SilverStone units and it is durable enough to survive being tossed in and out of our test setup repeatedly without getting scratched. In the end though, the OP1000-E is much more compact at ~6 inches compared to the DA1000 at ~7 1/2 inches and both have very nicely sleeved cabling that is complete to the unit housing (or modular end for the DA1000) but remains unsleeved on certain cables past the first connector.
Internal Build Quality
SilverStone Decathlon DA1000
SilverStone Olympia OP1000-E
Once we open both units we see that, barring the necessary parts to make the DA1000 modular, we are looking at the same unit internally. Both units have the same layout and are cooled by the same Protechnic fan rated at 0.45A at 12v paired with the finned and stacked heatsinks that we saw on the last Impervio designed unit we reviewed the OCZ EliteXStream 1000w. Once more the design is fairly clean, and features a dual 12v transformer design used to generate these units’ generous 80A 12v DC output capacity.
SilverStone Decathlon DA1000
SilverStone Olympia OP1000-E
Over on the primary side we again see a very familiar design utilizing three primary capacitors rated at 450v 220uF 85c and provided by the Japanese firm Toshin (as opposed to the Hitachi 420v 330uF in the OCZ EliteXStream). These caps are ones that we are starting to see more of and they particularly have been prominent in Topower built units lately. The Toshin selection is certainly a step up from Chinese capacitors but they could have been the 105c line and not been out of place in a high end unit such as these. Lastly, we see the APFC circuit, APFC coil, and some of the Y capacitors from the input filtering tucked under the heatsink here.
SilverStone Decathlon DA1000
SilverStone Olympia OP1000-E
Once we move over to the secondary we see a few differences between the two units that are necessary due to the DA1000's modular interface. Before jumping into that though, it should be noted that up to this point these units have been very similar to the OCZ EliteXStream 1000w, but the OP1000-E and the DA1000 do feature some different components on the secondary for power output. The wiring here is all well tended to with the exception of exiting the housing with no wire guard or sleeving on the OP1000-E which is odd given the high end nature of this unit. The modular interface on the DA1000 however, is actually a very clever way around Ultra's patent on the modular PCB. Rather than having the wires terminate on a PCB, these wires end in female connectors for their respective connector type and have tabs holding them in individual cutouts on the housing. In essence, you have here extendable cables like modders have been doing for some time, only here they terminate flush with the housing to give you a modular interface. This certainly looks like a way around Ultra's patent to me (and looks good in the process) however, it does add more length to this unit than probably would have occurred had a PCB been used. Lastly, we see that both units are filled out with Teapo capacitors.
Build Quality Summary
The build quality of the SilverStone Decathlon DA1000 and Olympia OP1000-E is certainly very good overall but like the OCZ EliteXStream before it there are a couple of points that could be addressed. While the exterior of both units are well trimmed out in the same flat black like previous SilverStone units, the DA1000's and the OP1000-E's wiring is left unfinished looking as the sleeving ends ~2 inches above the first (or only). However, once we move inside the unit we find that the units PCB is immaculately populated due to the robotic manufacturing of Impervio's manufacturing partner. The construction of the unit is clean for both units but slightly crowded for the DA1000 due to SilverStone's apparent way around the patent on modular power supplies. The manner in which SilverStone/Impervio has elected to facilitate the modularity of this unit is certainly good, and given the work around I think the slightly more crowded layout is certainly a worthy tradeoff. Both units capacitor selection is good, but certainly not as good as the previous Impervio unit as these units feature Toshin primaries and Teapo secondaries. Overall however, the actual assembly of the interior of this unit is simply excellent but probably could have done with a little less caulk.